Capital-izing on connections
On the heels of her sophomore year at Skidmore, Cassidy Goda ’28 was feeling quite certain she wanted to go to law school — just not what it would be like or how best to prepare.
The political science and Spanish double major brims with excitement as she describes the classes and extracurriculars she’s experienced so far at Skidmore. Taking Comparative Politics and International Relations with Associate Professor of Political Science Yelena Biberman-Ocakli was pivotal for her, she says, “to the point where homework didn’t even feel like homework anymore. It was exciting. I’d wonder, ‘What am I going to learn next?’”
She found the same to be true during her eye-opening eight-week Summer Legal Fellowship at the Government Law Center (GLC) at Albany Law School — consistently ranked one of the nation’s top government law programs, located just 45 minutes south of Skidmore’s campus.
As a research assistant for Biberman-Ocakli and an assistant for the Skidmore Political Science Department at large, as well as a student representative on the Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee and president of the Skidmore Democrats, Goda has jumped at every opportunity to explore a potential future in politics.
This background, in Associate Professor and Chair of Political Science Bob Turner’s eyes, made her an ideal candidate for the law center fellowship — supported by a grant from Skidmore’s Summer Experience Fund (SEF), part of the Zankel Experience Network.
The prestigious fellowship — which functions as a practical pre-law program — has been around for decades but has only recently been made available to Skidmore students. Through a connection between Turner and Government Law Center Director Patrick Wildes ’12, a Skidmore alum and 2016 Albany Law School graduate, the internship was offered last year to Annabelle Winston ’26 and this year to Goda.
It’s one example of the many stellar career prep opportunities available to Skidmore students right on the College’s doorstep.
A transparent look at law school and government
Goda’s eight weeks in the Summer Legal Fellowship included legal research, memo writing, database training, visits to state and city courts and government agencies, meetings with Albany Law School’s dean and president and admissions team, and more — significantly advancing her understanding of law school and career pathways.
“It was basically a pre-law program in and of itself, and we got to go places and meet people and build up so many connections,” Goda says. “My LinkedIn has exploded.”
The interns toured the state’s highest court, the New York State Court of Appeals, with retired Judge Leslie Stein — a former GLC director — and received an in-depth lesson about what the court does. They also met with five justices in the state Supreme Court, Third Appellate Division, including Skidmore alumna Christina Ryba ’98.
“It was very personable. Justice Ryba came up to me afterward and said, ‘I went to Skidmore too,’ and we talked for like 10 minutes. Everyone wants to know what questions we have and how they can help us through our law journey.”
A highlight of the fellowship, she says, was meeting Assemblywoman Gabriella Romero, an Albany Law alum and one of the youngest current members of the state Assembly.
“I really want to go into politics and into office. Meeting with Assemblywoman Romero and seeing politics in process, seeing the person who I want to be like sitting right in front of me, was inspirational,” she says.
When the interns attended the Judicial Institute Summer Series with more than 400 state judges, they got to listen in on discussions ranging from the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence to what a free press looks like in today’s climate.
On one of the final days of the fellowship, the interns sat in on live housing and eviction cases in Troy City Court — an experience that also deeply affected Goda.
“Seeing underrepresented people in communities who need assistance, but there’s no one there to help them because there’s some law that’s preventing it or they don’t have the financial means, allowed me to think about why I want to go to law school,” Goda says. “It’s a driving force for me.”
Adding Skidmore to the bench
Government Law Center Director Pat Wildes ’12 majored in government (now political science) at Skidmore and concluded his undergraduate career with some lingering doubts about whether law school was for him. He instead spent a year serving with AmeriCorps, advancing public relations efforts to connect people to healthcare around the time of the Obamacare rollout.
The experience, he says, confirmed that public service was the right path for him — and that becoming an attorney would allow him to make the biggest impact.
“I applied to Albany Law School, largely because it was in the state capital and one of the most important state capitals in the country,” Wildes says.
After law school, he worked for a state agency — the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs — through a program called the Excelsior Service Fellowship. From there, he went to work for the Governor’s Office around the time of the pandemic and ultimately led many of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s mental health and addiction policy efforts for three years.
“A through line for my career has been focusing on marginalized and underserved populations,” Wildes observes.
In January 2025, he stepped into his current role at the Government Law Center, where he is preparing the next generation of public servants, lawyers, and leaders.
He has continued to stay in touch with his former professor, Bob Turner. Between state politics and soccer, they have plenty to talk about. Wildes was a member of the Skidmore men’s soccer team, and Turner is a big fan. “Bob supported me on the soccer field as well as in the classroom,” Wildes notes.
Turner has invited the GLC director to speak to his classes, and when he saw an opportunity last year to connect a talented Skidmore student, Annabelle Winston ’26, with the center’s fellowship, he again reached out to his former mentee.
Going forward, Wildes intends to continue offering the summer fellowship opportunity to high-achieving Skidmore students. Of Winston and Goda, he offers glowing praise.
“They’re bright. They’re energetic. They’re very goal-oriented and mission-driven and definitely want to impact the world in a really positive way,” he says.
As a smaller campus, Wildes believes Skidmore excels at providing leadership opportunities to its students and creating an environment for building relationships.
“The culture at Skidmore, the way people treat each other, the way faculty engage with students, the sense of community there — it supports people who would be well suited for public service. I think so much of law and politics and policy is developing healthy relationships with people and knowing how to connect with them.”
This story originally appeared in the fall 2026 issue of Skidmore College’s Scope magazine.